I was born over a coal mine Way up in Widemouth Holler; My father found to work the mines- Twas little else to foller.

The Depression was going on Way up in Widemouth Holler; And the times then were harder still, Far out from Widemouth Holler.

The old homeplace set on a mine Way up in Widemouth Holler; Grandpa had sold the min'ral rights As others he did follow.

Grandpa was born right near the place Above old Widemouth Holler; He scrapped a living from the earth Just east of Widemouth Holler.

The times back then were very hard Around old Widemouth Holler; But Grandpa hunted in the forests, The white-tail buck to foller.

My father worked when ten or twelve On Wenonah's black tipple; With brother Budd, he picked the bone, Before they had a pimple.

My father built a small log house Across from Widemouth Holler; A place as quite as any mouse, Except for Widemouth Holler.

From there I watched the bucket line That ran down the old Holler; From which a lad fell to his death Way down in Widemouth Holler.

There too, were many water springs Above old Widemouth Holler; But the coal mines soon sank them all, It's barren seams they follered.

Few remain who remember when They mined in Widemouth Holler; And when the Strippers too did gut Whats left of Widemouth Holler.

There no punch-outs can still be seen Along the Widemouth Hollers; For the Strippers bored even there On hills of Widemouth Holler.

Machines now dig the hard coal down As men did in this holler; And load the coal upon a belt Which to the entrance follers.

And gone are all the shovels too That rang in Widemouth Holler; And sixteen tons was not so much To sweat and load and waller.

Coal mining work now still is hard In other coal mine hollers; But not as hard when coal was dug By men in Widemouth Holler.

My Granddad Wood was bank boss too When Modoc's seam he follered; And shot the rock where coal pinched-out, And in the gob he wallered.

Uncle Bill, under slate they found From 'Rista's crumbling roofing; For hours he's lain there by himself, The rock his frame engulfing.

Many died in old Modoc's seam Way up in Widemouth Holler; They lost their life to get some bread And script in place of dollars.

Very few are alive today Who dug in Widemouth Holler; Some seldom saw the light of day Who toiled in Widemouth Holler.

Wenonah ran 'bout eighty years Way up in Widemouth Holler; Arista too, lost many men While scratching for a dollar.

The mining camps were num'rous then All up the Widemouth Holler; Matoaka lay at Widemouth's foot. To which the creek did foller.

Pawama next, then Giatto Was next up Widemouth Holler; Then Smokeless west, below Piedmont, Hiawatha fifth to foller.

There Springton too, with it's old store, Branched north from Widemouth Holler; Their power house hummed throughout the year Way up in Springton Holler.

My father worked outside the mine Up in Arista Holler; Where winter's wind with mountain cold Sucked up from Widemouth Holler.

Through winter's blast and dusky dark Beneath old 'Ristas tipple, Drag, filled and dropped the railroad cars Beneath the old black tipple.

The coal is now a longtime gone From hills of Widemouth Holler; But mem'ry still, lingers on The paths I used to foller.

Where childhood came in my own time I roamed old Widemouth Hollow; First viewed the Hand of God above Whom yet my path doth follow:

And when He pleased, He raised me up Beyond old Widemouth Hollow To know the Power that made the earth My feet in youth did follow.

Old father yet, still struggles on Advancing years to follow; He bears the scars of mining coal Way up in Widemouth Holler.

Mothers' gone from old earth's travail From scenes of Widemouth Hollow; To a land of infinite bliss, No more these hills to follow:

So Jesus too, of earth partook, His Father's course to follow; To know the toil of earth below In dark of sin's old hollow;

Did walk the hills of Galilee- Nazareth's streets did follow; Felt the heat of Samaria, In dust her plains He followed.

He too did take of earthly pain In Gethsemine's Hollow; He felt that gulf which did sep'rate His God from these, His fellows.

Too, the beauty which earth bestowed As Palestine He followed; Knew hunger too, and also thrist With vinegar He swallowed.

The tears He shed on Olive's Mount, Earth's sorrow then allowing; And here that death is sure to all, To Lazurus' tomb they're foll'ing.

For as a man, of human kind, Though deity is glowing; Sought no repute of self to make, He walked by Jordan's flowing.

So He with me, and I with Him Of earth, it's nature follow; Though mine is daily filled with sin, His, emaculate, Holy

Then I still in memories past Return to Widemouth Holler; In West Virginia's lovely hills Way up in Widemouth Holler.

*Copyright (c) 1997

O. Allen Bailey